Tank-room structure



Dec. 25 fl923.

H. D. POWN ALL TANK ROOM STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 1'7

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 atto inu Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

near stares HENRY D. POWNALL, 0F CANTON, OHIO.

TANK-ROOM STRUCTURE.

Application filed January 117, 1922. Serial No. 529,991.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY D. PowNALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tank-Room Structure, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements 111 tank room structure for artificial ice ma: chines. One of its objects is to provide an improved tank room structure in which provision is made for the freezing tanks and for large unobstructed spaces over the tank floors for the movement of hoisting cranes to harvest the ice. Another objectis to provide an improved tank room structure providing for the assembly of brine cooler and freezing tanks with space above for harvesting the ice with cranes and improved facilities for illuminating and ventilating the tank room. Another objectis to provide an improved structure having the requisite strength and particularly adapted to serve as a tank room, requiring a minimum of material and labor in its construction. Another object is to provide an improved combination of cooler tank and freezing tanks with a tank room structure adapted to inclose, and protect said tanks. My invention also comprises certain details of form combination and arrangement, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 1--1 of Fig. 2, through a tankroom structure embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the same upon a smaller scale on line .22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the roof of the tank room structure in plan.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention in which 14 represents the brine cooler tank of an artificial ice making apparatus and 15 represents a series of freezing tanks located in rows upon opposite sides of the brine cooler tank. The ice machine compressor condenser, and other apparatus, not shown, may be located either in a separate building, or in an endwise extension of the tank room structure illustrated, at one end thereof, and if desired an ice storage room may be provided by an endwise extension of vided with a series of ice molds or cans 16 which are adapted to be all filled with fresh water at one operation through conduits 18 from a fresh water storage tank 17, cold brine is circulated through the designated freezing tank so that freezing commences.

in all the ice cans of the designated freezing tank at once, and the freezing operation in all the ice cans is completed at substantially the same time, so that all the ice from a designated freezing tank is harvested at once.

In order to advantageously operate the freezing tanks it is desirable to locate a number of freezing tanks adjacent to the brine cooler, preferably in rows upon opposite sides thereof and to have a copious circulation of the cold brine through short connecting conduits 10 and 11 to each freezing'tank from the brine cooler in order to maintain uniform low brine temperatures at all points in the respective freezing tanks, a propeller 12 attached to the brine cooler causes the brine to circulate through the cooler and any or all of the freezing tanks. The depth of the freezing tanks is pre scribed by the length of the ice blocks which it is desired to produce and it is desirable that said freezing tanks be elevated for instance upon cross I-beams 19, and longitudinal I-beams 19 and piers 20, in order that access may be had to the bottoms of the freezing tanks, to connect up the fresh water and other conduits leading to said freezing tanks, and to make any necessary repairs. The brine cooler tank may however be conveniently made long, narrow and of greater depth than the freezing tanks, thereby providing an assembly economical of space.

In order to conveniently harvest the ice a tank floor 21 is provided with detachable sections 22 constituting lids for the respective ice cans. It is also desirable to have an unobstructed tank floor extending over the entire row of freezing tanks with elevated tracks 24 at opposite sides of the tank room along which main truck 25 of a traveling crane is adapted to travel, while a secondary truck 26 carrying hoisting apparatus 27 is adapted to travel transversely along said main truck to bring the hQi-Sting apparatus 7 portions.

above any desired portion of the tank floor.

In order to inclose and protect the brine cooler, the freezing tanks, the tank floor, and the traveling cranes over the respective rows of freezing tanks, I provide side walls 28 and 29, end walls 30 and 31, a roof in two sections 32 and 33, and uprights or columns 34: and 35 arranged in two separate rows at opposite sides of the brine cooler.

The side walls are perierably of concrete or masonry to a point above the surface of the ground indicated at 36, and may be of concrete, brick, or wood through their upper The side walls are preferably of only moderate height, and each provided With a row of windows 37 to afford illumination for the tank floor and ventilation when required.

Where practical the tank room structure is preferably built with its ends facing eastwardly and westwardly and its sides northwardly and southwardly so that light from the north may enter through the Windows 38. The roof joists 39 supporting the north portion 32 of the roof are connected at one end to the wall 23, and at the opposite end to one of the vertical columns 3 1 and also with one of the vertical columns 35 thereby connecting said columns together in pairs and forming a double support for one end of each of said joists 39. The roof joists 10 to support the south portion 33 of the roof are supported at one end upon the side wall 29, and at their opposite ends by being attached to the upper ends of the vertical columns 35, preferably so that the ends of said joists 40 overhang the ends of the columns 35. he roof is completed by inserting an inclined frame-work 41 extending downwardly from the ends ofthe joists 40 to the joists 39, preferably at substantially the point where the joists 39 are attached to the upper ends of the columns 34:. A row of windows 38 are pivotally mounted upon the frame work 41 so as to afford illumination upon the tank room floor, and also when desired to afford efiicient ventilation of the tank room structure by allowing fresh air to enter through the windows 37 and warm or vitiated air to escape through the windows 38. I,

The arrangement of tanks, Walls, columns, roof sections, and ports, is particularly adapted to harmoniously and conjointly serve the purpose intended.

The apparatus herein illustrated and described is capable of considerable modification without departing from the principle of my invention. 1

What I claim is: v I

tank-room structure forartificial ice making apparatus having arranged side by side lengthwise thereof, a brine cooler tank and a plurality of freezing tanks, comprising a" floor on which said tanks are supported, a

tank room floor elevated above said tanks, end-walls, side-walls, vertical columns supported substantially in two rows at opposite sides of the central tank and between said central tank and the outside tanks, a first set of roof joists supported at one end upon one of the side walls and at their opposite ends each attached to a vertical column in each of said rows of columns, and a second set of roof joists supported at one end upon the opposite side wall and attached at their opposite ends, each to a column in one of said rows of columns at a point above the attachment of said first roof joists thereto, roof sections car ied by said sets of roof joists respectively, and a series of illuminating and ventilating members interposed between the adjacent ends of said respective roof sections. 7

2,151 tank room structure for artificial ice making apparatushaving a centrally located brine cooler tank and freezing tanks located at opposite sides of said brine cooler tank comprising a tank supporting floor, a tank room floor elevated above said tanks, end walls, side walls, vertical columns supported in substantially two rows at opposite sides of the brine cooler tank and between the brine cooler tank and the respective freezing tanks, a first roof section supported at one end upon one side wall and at its opposite end upon the nearer row of vertical columns, a second roof section supported at one end upon the opposite side wall and at its opposite end upon the other row of vertical columns, the adjacent edges of said roof sections being one higher than the other, and a light and ventilating section interposed between adjacent ends of said roof sections. 7

3. A. tank room structure for artificial ice making apparatus having a centrally located brine cooler tank and freezing tanks located at opposite sides of said brine cooler tank comprising a tank supporting floor, a tank room floor elevated above said tanks, end walls, side walls, vertical columns supported in substantially two rows at opposite sides of the brine cooler tank and between the brine cooler tank and the respective freezing tanks, a first roof section supported at one end upon one side wall and at its opposite end upon the nearer row of vertical columns, a second roof section supported at one end upon the opposite side wall and at its opposite end upon the other row of vertical columns, the adjacent edges. of said roof sections being one higher than the other, means connecting said columns together and affording mutual support therefor near their upper ends, means connecting said columns together along the respective rows of columns, and a light and ventilating section interposed between adjacent ends of said respective roof sections.

4. A tank room structure for artificial ice making apparatus having a centrally located brine cooler tank and freezing tanks located at opposite sides of said brine cooler tank comprising a tank supporting floor, a tank room floor elevated above said tanks, end walls, side walls, vertical columns supported in substantially two rows at opposite sides of the brine cooler tank and between the brine cooler tank and the respective freezing tanks, a first roof section supported at one end upon one side wall and at its opposite end upon the nearer row of vertical columns, a second roof section supported at one end upon the opposite side wall and at its opposite end upon the other row of vertical columns, the adjacent edges of said roof sections being one higher than the other, a continuous overhead track-way along each side wall, a continuous overhead track-way along each row of said vertical columns connecting said columns together in rows, said trackways serving in pairs to support traveling cranes operable from end to end of the respective freezing tanks.

5. A tank room structure for artificial ice making apparatus having a centrally located brine cooler tank and freezing tanks located at opposite sides of said brine cooler tank comprising a tank supporting floor, a tank room floor elevated above said tanks, end walls, side walls, vertical columns supported in substantially two rows at opposite sides of the brine cooler tank and between the brine cooler tank and the respective freezing tanks, a first roof section supported at one end upon one side wall and at its opposite end upon the nearer row of vertical columns, a second roof section supported at one end upon the opposite side wall and at its opposite end upon the other row of, vertical columns, the adjacent edges of said roof sections being one higher than the other, a continuous overhead track-way along each row of said vertical columns connecting said columns together in rows, said track-ways serving in pairs to support traveling cranes operable from end to end of the respective freezing tanks, and a light and ventilating section interposed between adjacent ends of said respective roof sections.

6. A tank room structure for artificial ice making apparatus comprising a tank supporting floor, a tank room floor in one plane elevated above the tank supporting floor and tanks thereon, side walls, end walls, a series of vertical columns located centrally of said structure substantially in two rows lengthwise thereof, a first roof section extending from one side wall to the nearest row of vertical columns, a second roof section extending from the opposite side wall to the other row of vertical columns and extending partially over the space intermediate of said respective rows of columns, and an inclined roof section provided with sashes extending from the overhanging edge of said second roof section to the adjacent edge of said first roof section.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

HENRY D. POWNALL. 

